FOR the third year running, a Blackburn summer literacy school is closely linked to our Newspapers in Education project.

Some of the pupils who will be making the transition from primary schools to Pleckgate High School are taking part in the two week booster course, helped by our Super Story Search material, a tour of newspaper production and an NIE activity in class.

Teacher Pat Rushton decided to repeat her order of our resources, based on success achieved by pupils who worked through the NIE newspaper reading scheme during the past two years' projects at the school.

"Pupils really enjoy using the NIE workbooks and their own delivery of your newspaper," she said.

"The reward aspect encourages them to complete the tasks and they have already developed a keen interest in newspaper reading".

All schools ordering our NIE classroom resources are invited to make a tour of newspaper production and this was eagerly snapped up by the Pleckgate party, who followed it with the chance to try out their own page making skills in an activity run by our NIE Coordinator, Rita Shaw. Our Super Story Search material for KS2 and KS3 can be ordered by any school within our circulation area, for delivery during any three week period of the year. And for the autumn term we have a set of brand new FREE resources, available as a one-off, only with an order for a class set of a week's delivery of our newspaper into schools from October 2-6. The extended and final deadline for orders is 22 September. Free literacy lesson plans and worksheets linked to the National Literacy Strategy are on offer for teachers of KS1 and KS2, whilst KS3 and KS4 will get a special English/Media supplement packed with information and assignments, turning their class-room into a news room.

All material has been written by teachers from East Lancs schools who completed short placements with us through the Teacher Placement Service.

For more information on any aspect of our project, including our brand new resources, please contact NIE Coordinator, Rita Shaw, tel. 01254 678678 ext 255, fax no 01254 680429 or by email at nie@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

Picture: A SUMMER literacy project took place at St Wilfrid's CE High School, Blackburn, where a group of youngsters who will be joining the school in September worked through a range of reading activities, including our NIE Pick and Mix material. Pictured (from left) are teacher Alison Sweetlove, Nicola Gairns and Kevin O'Toole.